Litter Showdown

Rebekah A. Hall | May 01, 2003

One night while watching television, James Jackson of Cleveland heard noises coming from an empty lot next door. Peering out his window, he spied a dump truck illegally adding to a growing pile of trash.

Concerned about the worsening condition of his neighborhood, Jackson decided to take action. So he jumped in his car and tailed the environmental assailants to obtain the dump truck's license plate number. Jackson then phoned an illegal dumping hotline to report the environmental malfeasance. When the offenders returned to continue their dirty work, the police were eagerly awaiting.

For his quick detective work, a city ordinance entitles Jackson to a reward once the offenders have been prosecuted. But Jackson is mostly interested in the heap next door being cleaned up.

“I don't want the reward,” Jackson says. “What I would rather see is the judge have them come with rakes and brooms and trash bags, and clean this crap up.”